We wrote on China Planet earlier about the planned cancellation of the customs duty exemption for shipments up to €150 in value here. So it’s not a completely new topic, but we’re coming back to it now for a very practical reason. Polish Post (Poczta Polska) has published an official explanation of how the new rules should work in practice for shipments arriving from countries outside the European Union.
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From 1. July 2026, the rules change across the entire EU
According to information published by Poczta Polska as the official source, changes related to shipments containing goods purchased outside the European Union will take effect on July 1, 2026. Typically, these will be orders from large foreign platforms—so, for example, from Chinese web shops and marketplaces.
Until now, it was the case that customs duty was usually not charged on shipments up to 150 €. This is set to change. The legal basis is Council Regulation (EU) 2026/382 from 11 February 2026, which отменs the exemption from customs duty for low-value shipments. VAT on shipments from countries outside the EU has been handled for a longer time already, but from now on a customs fee will also be added to smaller orders.
The biggest change: 3 € for each type of goods
The Polish Post explains that for shipments up to 150 €, customs duty of 3 € should be charged for each type of goods in the shipment. The type of goods is determined based on the HS or CN customs tariff code. This is exactly the detail that matters a lot for the average customer, because the fee won’t automatically be only 3 € for the whole parcel.
If you order multiple identical products in a single shipment—e.g., three identical T-shirts—you’ll pay 3 €. But if the package includes different products, for example two T-shirts and a mug, the fee will be 6 €, because T-shirts and a mug fall under different customs codes. With mixed orders containing multiple small items, the total amount can therefore increase step by step.
According to Polish Post, the delivery of parcels will not change
Good news: the delivery method itself will not change, according to the Polish Post’s explanation. The post office or the carrier will continue to carry out customs clearance for shipments arriving from outside the EU. If additional documents or information are needed for the customs declaration, the recipient will be notified.
Customs duty, VAT, or any other potential charges will be collected from the recipient upon delivery of the shipment or during the customs process. For the customer, the way the parcel is received won’t change, but the final amount you actually pay for your purchase may be different.
Gift shipments should remain unchanged
At the same time, the Polish Post reminds you that occasional gift shipments between private individuals up to 45 € should remain unchanged. That means a gift sent, for example, from family or a friend outside the EU should still be exempt from customs duty and taxes, as long as it meets the conditions.
However, this does not apply to normal purchases from online shops. If you order a product from AliExpress, Temu, Shein, or another web shop, it’s not a gift between private individuals—it’s a commercial purchase. These are exactly the orders that the new rules will affect the most.
Why is the EU removing the exemption up to 150 €?
The European Union explains the changes mainly as an effort to curb undervaluation of shipments, increase control over goods entering the European market, and set fairer conditions between sellers outside the EU and European traders. In recent years, enormous numbers of cheap shipments have been flowing into Europe—shipments that customs authorities can’t effectively control.
From the customers’ point of view, this will be yet another increase in the cost of cheap shopping from outside the EU. In particular, small orders—which were previously attractive thanks to low prices and often also free shipping—may no longer be as worthwhile after 1. July 2026.
EU warehouses will be even more important than before
We at China Planet have long recommended keeping an eye especially on products from European warehouses. With them, you get the final price, faster delivery, and usually you don’t have to deal with customs duty, VAT, or customs clearance. Right after the introduction of the new rules, the difference between a Chinese and a European warehouse may become even more pronounced.
Big platforms will probably prepare for the change. We can expect even more pressure on local warehouses in Europe, consolidated shipments, or new logistics solutions. For customers, this may not mean the end of cheap shopping from China, but it will definitely mean that you’ll need to calculate and compare more.
What do you think about canceling the customs duty exemption for 150 euros?
What now?
We know for sure that shopping from China will no longer get cheaper, so we recommend taking advantage of the current prices and stocking up on everything you need. Shop cheap while you still can, and you can use our regularly updated article with coupons for that. The next sale awaits us from June 1.
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